Heat exchanger for hvac system

ABSTRACT

A heat exchanger for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a plurality of tubes configured to direct a working fluid therethrough and defining a first section and a second section of the heat exchanger. The first section and the second section extend crosswise relative to one another. The heat exchanger also includes an end sheet coupled to an end of the first section. The end sheet comprises a flange extending toward the second section.

BACKGROUND

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects ofart that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure andare described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful inproviding the reader with background information to facilitate a betterunderstanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure.Accordingly, it should be noted that these statements are to be read inthis light, and not as admissions of prior art.

Heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) systems areutilized in residential, commercial, and industrial environments tocontrol environmental properties, such as temperature and humidity, foroccupants of the respective environments. An HVAC system may control theenvironmental properties by conditioning a supply air flow delivered tothe environment. For example, the HVAC system may include a heatexchanger configured to place the supply air flow in a heat exchangerelationship with a working fluid (e.g., a refrigerant) of a vaporcompression system to condition the supply air flow. It may be desirableto limit a physical footprint occupied by the heat exchanger. Forexample, reducing the physical footprint associated with the heatexchanger may increase efficient usage of space and/or facilitate easeof transportation of the heat exchanger.

SUMMARY

A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. Itshould be noted that these aspects are presented merely to provide thereader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that theseaspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed,this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be setforth below.

In one embodiment, a heat exchanger for a heating, ventilation, and/orair conditioning (HVAC) system includes a plurality of tubes configuredto direct a working fluid therethrough and defining a first section anda second section of the heat exchanger. The first section and the secondsection extend crosswise relative to one another. The heat exchangeralso includes an end sheet coupled to an end of the first section. Theend sheet has a flange extending toward the second section.

In one embodiment, a heat exchanger for a heating, ventilation, and/orair conditioning (HVAC) system includes a plurality of tubes configuredto direct a working fluid therethrough. The plurality of tubes defines afirst panel section, a second panel section, and an intermediate sectionextending between the first panel section and the second panel section,and the first panel section and the second panel section are configuredto rotate relative to one another about the intermediate section. Theheat exchanger also includes an end sheet coupled to the first panelsection. The end sheet has a flange extending between the first panelsection and the second panel section

In one embodiment, a heat exchanger for a heating, ventilation, and/orair conditioning (HVAC) system includes a plurality of tubes configuredto direct a working fluid therethrough, a first section having a firstportion of the plurality of tubes, and a second section having a secondportion of the plurality of tubes. The first section includes a firstend sheet extending along a first direction of working fluid flowthrough the first portion of the plurality of tubes, the first end sheetincludes a first flange, the second section includes a second end sheetextending along a second direction of working fluid flow through thesecond portion of the plurality of tubes, the second end sheet includesa second flange, and the first flange and the second flange extendtoward one another

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon readingthe following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a heating, ventilation,and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system for environmental management thatmay employ one or more HVAC units, in accordance with an aspect of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a packaged HVAC unitthat may be used in the HVAC system of FIG. 1 , in accordance with anaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a cutaway perspective view of an embodiment of a residential,split HVAC system, in accordance with an aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic of an embodiment of a vapor compression systemthat can be used in any of the systems of FIGS. 1-3 , in accordance withan aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a heat exchanger for anHVAC system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a front view of an embodiment of a heat exchanger for an HVACsystem, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a rear view of an embodiment of a heat exchanger for an HVACsystem, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a front view of an embodiment of a heat exchanger for an HVACsystem, illustrating the heat exchanger in a compact configuration, inaccordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a detailed perspective view of an embodiment of a heatexchanger for an HVAC system, in accordance with an aspect of thepresent disclosure; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a heat exchanger foran HVAC system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effortto provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all featuresof an actual implementation are described in the specification. Itshould be noted that in the development of any such actualimplementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerousimplementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve thedevelopers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related andbusiness-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation toanother. Moreover, it should be noted that such a development effortmight be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routineundertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those ofordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean thatthere are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,”“including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean thatthere may be additional elements other than the listed elements.Additionally, it should be noted that references to “one embodiment” or“an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to beinterpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments thatalso incorporate the recited features.

The present disclosure is directed to a heating, ventilation, and/or airconditioning (HVAC) system. The HVAC system may be configured tocondition (e.g., heat, cool) an air flow and deliver the conditioned airflow to a space, such as a room, to condition the space. For example,the HVAC system may include a heat exchanger configured to place the airflow in a heat exchange relationship with a working fluid, such as arefrigerant, to change a temperature of the air flow. The air flow maythen be delivered to the space as a supply air flow to adjust thetemperature of the space, such as toward a target or set pointtemperature of the space.

Existing or conventional heat exchangers may occupy an undesirable(e.g., large) physical footprint. As an example, a heat exchanger mayhave a shape, a geometry, or other features that increase a space orvolume occupied by the heat exchanger. Thus, the heat exchanger mayreduce efficient usage of space, such as a space within an enclosure ofan HVAC system, a transportation space, and/or a storage space. As aresult, certain operations or services, such as installation,transportation, and/or storage of the heat exchanger, may be difficultto perform.

Thus, it is presently recognized that limiting the physical footprint ofthe heat exchanger may improve performance of various operations relatedto the heat exchanger. Accordingly, embodiments of the presentdisclosure are directed to a heat exchanger that includes features forlimiting the space occupied by the heat exchanger. For example, the heatexchanger includes tubes through which a working fluid may flow. Thetubes may define a first section of the heat exchanger and a secondsection of the heat exchanger. A first end sheet may be coupled to thefirst section, and a second end sheet may be coupled to the secondsection. For instance, the first end sheet may extend along a directionof flow of working fluid through the tubes in the first section, and thesecond end sheet may extend along a direction of flow of working fluidthrough the tubes in the second section. The first end sheet and thesecond end sheet may be configured to couple to a plate. As an example,the plate may block undesirable air flow out of an area between thefirst section and the second section of the heat exchanger, therebyincreasing an efficiency of the heat exchanger to transfer heat betweenthe air flow and working fluid via air flow across the tubes. The firstend sheet may include a first flange, the second end sheet may include asecond flange, and the plate may be configured to couple to the firstend sheet via the first flange and to the second end sheet via thesecond flange. The first flange and the second flange may extend towardone another, such as toward a space or area formed between the firstsection and the second section. Thus, the first flange and the secondflange may not increase a dimension or size of an outer boundaryassociated with the heat exchanger (e.g., surrounding a perimeter of thesections of the heat exchanger). In this manner, the flanges enable theheat exchanger to couple to the plate while limiting the physicalfootprint occupied by the heat exchanger. Thus, the space in which theheat exchanger is disposed may be efficiently utilized.

In certain embodiments, the first section and the second section may beconfigured to move (e.g., rotate) relative to one another. For example,the first section and the second section may be configured to movetoward one another to transition the heat exchanger to a compactconfiguration, and the first section and the second section may beconfigured to move away from one another to transition the heatexchanger to an expanded configuration. Additionally, a first notch maybe formed in the first end sheet and a second notch may be formed in thesecond end sheet. The first notch may be configured to receive thesecond flange of the second end sheet, and the second notch may beconfigured to receive the first flange of the first end sheet in thecompact configuration. As an example, the first notch may enable thesecond flange of the second end sheet to overlap with the first section,and the second notch may enable the first flange of the first end sheetto overlap with the second section. Thus, the notches may block thefirst flange from contacting the second end sheet and/or the secondflange from contacting the first end sheet in a manner that would limitor block movement of the first section and the second section toward oneanother to transition the heat exchanger to the compact configuration.Accordingly, the notches may enable a desirable range of movement of thefirst section and the second section of the heat exchanger (e.g., toenable transition to the compact configuration).

As used herein, the terms “approximately,” “generally,” “substantially,”and so forth, are intended to convey that the property value beingdescribed may be within a relatively small range of the property value,as those of ordinary skill would understand. For example, when aproperty value is described as being “approximately” equal to (or, forexample, “substantially similar” to) a given value, this is intended toconvey that the property value may be within +/−5%, within +/−4%, within+/−3%, within +/−2%, within +/−1%, or even closer, of the given value.Similarly, when a given feature is described as being “substantiallyparallel” to another feature, “generally perpendicular” to anotherfeature, and so forth, this is intended to convey that the given featureis within +/−5%, within +/−4%, within +/−3%, within +/−2%, within +/−1%,or even closer, to having the described nature, such as being parallelto another feature, being perpendicular to another feature, and soforth. Mathematical terms, such as “parallel” and “perpendicular,”should not be rigidly interpreted in a strict mathematical sense, butshould instead be interpreted as one of ordinary skill in the art wouldinterpret such terms. For example, one of ordinary skill in the artwould understand that two lines that are substantially parallel to eachother are parallel to a substantial degree, but may have minor deviationfrom exactly parallel.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of aheating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system forenvironmental management that may employ one or more HVAC units. As usedherein, an HVAC system includes any number of components configured toenable regulation of parameters related to climate characteristics, suchas temperature, humidity, air flow, pressure, air quality, and so forth.For example, an “HVAC system” as used herein is defined asconventionally understood and as further described herein. Components orparts of an “HVAC system” may include, but are not limited to, all, someof, or individual parts such as a heat exchanger, a heater, an air flowcontrol device, such as a fan, a sensor configured to detect a climatecharacteristic or operating parameter, a filter, a control deviceconfigured to regulate operation of an HVAC system component, acomponent configured to enable regulation of climate characteristics, ora combination thereof. An “HVAC system” is a system configured toprovide such functions as heating, cooling, ventilation,dehumidification, pressurization, refrigeration, filtration, or anycombination thereof. The embodiments described herein may be utilized ina variety of applications to control climate characteristics, such asresidential, commercial, industrial, transportation, or otherapplications where climate control is desired.

In the illustrated embodiment, a building 10 is air conditioned by asystem that includes an HVAC unit 12. The building 10 may be acommercial structure or a residential structure. As shown, the HVAC unit12 is disposed on the roof of the building 10; however, the HVAC unit 12may be located in other equipment rooms or areas adjacent the building10. The HVAC unit 12 may be a single package unit containing otherequipment, such as a blower, integrated air handler, and/or auxiliaryheating unit. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may be part of asplit HVAC system, such as the system shown in FIG. 3 , which includesan outdoor HVAC unit 58 and an indoor HVAC unit 56.

The HVAC unit 12 is an air cooled device that implements a refrigerationcycle to provide conditioned air to the building 10. Specifically, theHVAC unit 12 may include one or more heat exchangers across which an airflow is passed to condition the air flow before the air flow is suppliedto the building. In the illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit 12 is arooftop unit (RTU) that conditions a supply air stream, such asenvironmental air and/or a return air flow from the building 10. Afterthe HVAC unit 12 conditions the air, the air is supplied to the building10 via ductwork 14 extending throughout the building 10 from the HVACunit 12. For example, the ductwork 14 may extend to various individualfloors or other sections of the building 10. In certain embodiments, theHVAC unit 12 may be a heat pump that provides both heating and coolingto the building with one refrigeration circuit configured to operate indifferent modes. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may include oneor more refrigeration circuits for cooling an air stream and a furnacefor heating the air stream.

A control device 16, one type of which may be a thermostat, may be usedto designate the temperature of the conditioned air. The control device16 also may be used to control the flow of air through the ductwork 14.For example, the control device 16 may be used to regulate operation ofone or more components of the HVAC unit 12 or other components, such asdampers and fans, within the building 10 that may control flow of airthrough and/or from the ductwork 14. In some embodiments, other devicesmay be included in the system, such as pressure and/or temperaturetransducers or switches that sense the temperatures and pressures of thesupply air, return air, and so forth. Moreover, the control device 16may include computer systems that are integrated with or separate fromother building control or monitoring systems, and even systems that areremote from the building 10.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the HVAC unit 12. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit 12 is a single package unitthat may include one or more independent refrigeration circuits andcomponents that are tested, charged, wired, piped, and ready forinstallation. The HVAC unit 12 may provide a variety of heating and/orcooling functions, such as cooling only, heating only, cooling withelectric heat, cooling with dehumidification, cooling with gas heat, orcooling with a heat pump. As described above, the HVAC unit 12 maydirectly cool and/or heat an air stream provided to the building 10 tocondition a space in the building 10.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2 , a cabinet 24 enclosesthe HVAC unit 12 and provides structural support and protection to theinternal components from environmental and other contaminants. In someembodiments, the cabinet 24 may be constructed of galvanized steel andinsulated with aluminum foil faced insulation. Rails 26 may be joined tothe bottom perimeter of the cabinet 24 and provide a foundation for theHVAC unit 12. In certain embodiments, the rails 26 may provide accessfor a forklift and/or overhead rigging to facilitate installation and/orremoval of the HVAC unit 12. In some embodiments, the rails 26 may fitonto “curbs” on the roof to enable the HVAC unit 12 to provide air tothe ductwork 14 from the bottom of the HVAC unit 12 while blockingelements such as rain from leaking into the building 10.

The HVAC unit 12 includes heat exchangers 28 and 30 in fluidcommunication with one or more refrigeration circuits. Tubes within theheat exchangers 28 and 30 may circulate refrigerant, such as R-410A,through the heat exchangers 28 and 30. The tubes may be of varioustypes, such as multichannel tubes, conventional copper or aluminumtubing, and so forth. Together, the heat exchangers 28 and 30 mayimplement a thermal cycle in which the refrigerant undergoes phasechanges and/or temperature changes as it flows through the heatexchangers 28 and 30 to produce heated and/or cooled air. For example,the heat exchanger 28 may function as a condenser where heat is releasedfrom the refrigerant to ambient air, and the heat exchanger 30 mayfunction as an evaporator where the refrigerant absorbs heat to cool anair stream. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may operate in a heatpump mode where the roles of the heat exchangers 28 and 30 may bereversed. That is, the heat exchanger 28 may function as an evaporatorand the heat exchanger 30 may function as a condenser. In furtherembodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may include a furnace for heating the airstream that is supplied to the building 10. While the illustratedembodiment of FIG. 2 shows the HVAC unit 12 having two of the heatexchangers 28 and 30, in other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may includeone heat exchanger or more than two heat exchangers.

The heat exchanger 30 is located within a compartment 31 that separatesthe heat exchanger 30 from the heat exchanger 28. Fans 32 draw air fromthe environment through the heat exchanger 28. Air may be heated and/orcooled as the air flows through the heat exchanger 28 before beingreleased back to the environment surrounding the HVAC unit 12. A blowerassembly 34, powered by a motor 36, draws air through the heat exchanger30 to heat or cool the air. The heated or cooled air may be directed tothe building 10 by the ductwork 14, which may be connected to the HVACunit 12. Before flowing through the heat exchanger 30, the conditionedair flows through one or more filters 38 that may remove particulatesand contaminants from the air. In certain embodiments, the filters 38may be disposed on the air intake side of the heat exchanger 30 toprevent contaminants from contacting the heat exchanger 30.

The HVAC unit 12 also may include other equipment for implementing thethermal cycle. Compressors 42 increase the pressure and temperature ofthe refrigerant before the refrigerant enters the heat exchanger 28. Thecompressors 42 may be any suitable type of compressors, such as scrollcompressors, rotary compressors, screw compressors, or reciprocatingcompressors. In some embodiments, the compressors 42 may include a pairof hermetic direct drive compressors arranged in a dual stageconfiguration 44. However, in other embodiments, any number of thecompressors 42 may be provided to achieve various stages of heatingand/or cooling. Additional equipment and devices may be included in theHVAC unit 12, such as a solid-core filter drier, a drain pan, adisconnect switch, an economizer, pressure switches, phase monitors, andhumidity sensors, among other things.

The HVAC unit 12 may receive power through a terminal block 46. Forexample, a high voltage power source may be connected to the terminalblock 46 to power the equipment. The operation of the HVAC unit 12 maybe governed or regulated by a control board 48. The control board 48 mayinclude control circuitry connected to a thermostat, sensors, andalarms. One or more of these components may be referred to hereinseparately or collectively as the control device 16. The controlcircuitry may be configured to control operation of the equipment,provide alarms, and monitor safety switches. Wiring 49 may connect thecontrol board 48 and the terminal block 46 to the equipment of the HVACunit 12.

FIG. 3 illustrates a residential heating and cooling system 50, also inaccordance with present techniques. The residential heating and coolingsystem 50 may provide heated and cooled air to a residential structure,as well as provide outside air for ventilation and provide improvedindoor air quality (IAQ) through devices such as ultraviolet lights andair filters. In the illustrated embodiment, the residential heating andcooling system 50 is a split HVAC system. In general, a residence 52conditioned by a split HVAC system may include refrigerant conduits 54that operatively couple the indoor unit 56 to the outdoor unit 58. Theindoor unit 56 may be positioned in a utility room, an attic, abasement, and so forth. The outdoor unit 58 is typically situatedadjacent to a side of residence 52 and is covered by a shroud to protectthe system components and to prevent leaves and other debris orcontaminants from entering the unit. The refrigerant conduits 54transfer refrigerant between the indoor unit 56 and the outdoor unit 58,typically transferring primarily liquid refrigerant in one direction andprimarily vaporized refrigerant in an opposite direction.

When the system shown in FIG. 3 is operating as an air conditioner, aheat exchanger 60 in the outdoor unit 58 serves as a condenser forre-condensing vaporized refrigerant flowing from the indoor unit 56 tothe outdoor unit 58 via one of the refrigerant conduits 54. In theseapplications, a heat exchanger 62 of the indoor unit functions as anevaporator. Specifically, the heat exchanger 62 receives liquidrefrigerant, which may be expanded by an expansion device, andevaporates the refrigerant before returning it to the outdoor unit 58.

The outdoor unit 58 draws environmental air through the heat exchanger60 using a fan 64 and expels the air above the outdoor unit 58. Whenoperating as an air conditioner, the air is heated by the heat exchanger60 within the outdoor unit 58 and exits the unit at a temperature higherthan it entered. The indoor unit 56 includes a blower or fan 66 thatdirects air through or across the indoor heat exchanger 62, where theair is cooled when the system is operating in air conditioning mode.Thereafter, the air is passed through ductwork 68 that directs the airto the residence 52. The overall system operates to maintain a desiredtemperature as set by a system controller. When the temperature sensedinside the residence 52 is higher than the set point on the thermostat,or the set point plus a small amount, the residential heating andcooling system 50 may become operative to refrigerate additional air forcirculation through the residence 52. When the temperature reaches theset point, or the set point minus a small amount, the residentialheating and cooling system 50 may stop the refrigeration cycletemporarily.

The residential heating and cooling system 50 may also operate as a heatpump. When operating as a heat pump, the roles of heat exchangers 60 and62 are reversed. That is, the heat exchanger 60 of the outdoor unit 58will serve as an evaporator to evaporate refrigerant and thereby coolair entering the outdoor unit 58 as the air passes over the outdoor heatexchanger 60. The indoor heat exchanger 62 will receive a stream of airblown over it and will heat the air by condensing the refrigerant.

In some embodiments, the indoor unit 56 may include a furnace system 70.For example, the indoor unit 56 may include the furnace system 70 whenthe residential heating and cooling system 50 is not configured tooperate as a heat pump. The furnace system 70 may include a burnerassembly and heat exchanger, among other components, inside the indoorunit 56. Fuel is provided to the burner assembly of the furnace 70 whereit is mixed with air and combusted to form combustion products. Thecombustion products may pass through tubes or piping in a heatexchanger, separate from heat exchanger 62, such that air directed bythe blower 66 passes over the tubes or pipes and extracts heat from thecombustion products. The heated air may then be routed from the furnacesystem 70 to the ductwork 68 for heating the residence 52.

FIG. 4 is an embodiment of a vapor compression system 72 that can beused in any of the systems described above. The vapor compression system72 may circulate a refrigerant through a circuit starting with acompressor 74. The circuit may also include a condenser 76, an expansionvalve(s) or device(s) 78, and an evaporator 80. The vapor compressionsystem 72 may further include a control panel 82 that has an analog todigital (A/D) converter 84, a microprocessor 86, a non-volatile memory88, and/or an interface board 90. The control panel 82 and itscomponents may function to regulate operation of the vapor compressionsystem 72 based on feedback from an operator, from sensors of the vaporcompression system 72 that detect operating conditions, and so forth.

In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 72 may use one or moreof a variable speed drive (VSDs) 92, a motor 94, the compressor 74, thecondenser 76, the expansion valve or device 78, and/or the evaporator80. The motor 94 may drive the compressor 74 and may be powered by thevariable speed drive (VSD) 92. The VSD 92 receives alternating current(AC) power having a particular fixed line voltage and fixed linefrequency from an AC power source, and provides power having a variablevoltage and frequency to the motor 94. In other embodiments, the motor94 may be powered directly from an AC or direct current (DC) powersource. The motor 94 may include any type of electric motor that can bepowered by a VSD or directly from an AC or DC power source, such as aswitched reluctance motor, an induction motor, an electronicallycommutated permanent magnet motor, or another suitable motor.

The compressor 74 compresses a refrigerant vapor and delivers the vaporto the condenser 76 through a discharge passage. In some embodiments,the compressor 74 may be a centrifugal compressor. The refrigerant vapordelivered by the compressor 74 to the condenser 76 may transfer heat toa fluid passing across the condenser 76, such as ambient orenvironmental air 96. The refrigerant vapor may condense to arefrigerant liquid in the condenser 76 as a result of thermal heattransfer with the environmental air 96. The liquid refrigerant from thecondenser 76 may flow through the expansion device 78 to the evaporator80.

The liquid refrigerant delivered to the evaporator 80 may absorb heatfrom another air stream, such as a supply air stream 98 provided to thebuilding 10 or the residence 52. For example, the supply air stream 98may include ambient or environmental air, return air from a building, ora combination of the two. The liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 80may undergo a phase change from the liquid refrigerant to a refrigerantvapor. In this manner, the evaporator 80 may reduce the temperature ofthe supply air stream 98 via thermal heat transfer with the refrigerant.Thereafter, the vapor refrigerant exits the evaporator 80 and returns tothe compressor 74 by a suction line to complete the cycle.

In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 72 may further includea reheat coil in addition to the evaporator 80. For example, the reheatcoil may be positioned downstream of the evaporator relative to thesupply air stream 98 and may reheat the supply air stream 98 when thesupply air stream 98 is overcooled to remove humidity from the supplyair stream 98 before the supply air stream 98 is directed to thebuilding 10 or the residence 52.

Any of the features described herein may be incorporated with the HVACunit 12, the residential heating and cooling system 50, or other HVACsystems. Additionally, while the features disclosed herein are describedin the context of embodiments that directly heat and cool a supply airstream provided to a building or other load, embodiments of the presentdisclosure may be applicable to other HVAC systems as well. For example,the features described herein may be applied to mechanical coolingsystems, free cooling systems, chiller systems, or other heat pump orrefrigeration applications.

The present disclosure is directed to a heat exchanger that has tubesdefining a first section and a second section. A first end sheet may becoupled to the first section, and a second end sheet may be coupled tothe second section. The first end sheet may include a first flange, thesecond end sheet may include a second flange, and a plate may beconfigured to couple to the first end sheet and the second end sheet viathe first flange and the second flange, respectively. For example, theplate may engage with the flanges, and fasteners may be inserted throughthe plate and the flanges to bias the plate against the end sheets,thereby securing the plate to the first section and the second sectionof the heat exchanger. The first flange may extend toward the second endsheet, and the second flange may extend toward the first end sheet.Thus, the flanges may extend inwardly from the first and second sectionsand do not increase an outer boundary defined by an outer perimeter ofthe heat exchanger (e.g., of the first and second sections). As such,the flanges may enable a reduced physical footprint occupied by the heatexchanger.

With this in mind, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of aheat exchanger 150 (e.g., a heat exchanger assembly) for an HVAC system152, which may include the HVAC unit 12, the residential heating andcooling system 50, or any other suitable HVAC system. An air flow 153may be directed across the heat exchanger 150, and a working fluid(e.g., a refrigerant) may be directed through the heat exchanger 150during operation of the HVAC system 152. For example, the heat exchanger150 may include an inlet 154 through which the working fluid may bedirected into the heat exchanger 150, and the heat exchanger 150 mayinclude an outlet 156 through which the working fluid may be dischargedfrom the heat exchanger 150. The heat exchanger 150 may further includetubes, coils, or channels 158 that direct working fluid from the inlet154 to the outlet 156. Thus, the working fluid may flow through the heatexchanger 150 by flowing into the inlet 154, through the tubes 158, andout of the outlet 156. In some embodiments, the tubes 158 may includemicrochannel tubes, but the tubes 158 may include any suitable tubes inadditional or alternative embodiments to direct working fluidtherethrough.

The air flow 153 (e.g., a supply air flow, a return air flow, an ambientair flow) may be directed across the tubes 158 during operation of theheat exchanger 150. The tubes 158 may enable heat transfer between theair flow 153 directed across the tubes 158 and the working fluid flowingthrough the tubes 158, thereby changing the temperature of the air flow153. As an example, heat may transfer from the air flow 153 to the tubes158 and to the working fluid, thereby cooling the air flow 153 andheating the working fluid. As another example, heat may transfer fromthe working fluid to the tubes 158 and to the air flow 153, therebyheating the air flow 153 and cooling the working fluid. Additionally,each tube 158 may be offset from one another along a first axis 159 toform spaces between adjacent tubes 158 to enable the air flow 153 to bedirected through the heat exchanger 150 and across the tubes 158 via thespaces. For example, the air flow 153 may be directed from the heatexchanger 150 to a space serviced by the HVAC system 152 to conditionthe space. Furthermore, the working fluid may be directed from the heatexchanger 150 to another component of the HVAC system 152, such as to acompressor (e.g., the compressor 42, the compressor 74), to circulatethrough a vapor compression system of the HVAC system 152.

The illustrated heat exchanger 150 includes a first section 160 (e.g., afirst panel section, a first slab) and a second section 162 (e.g., asecond panel section, a second slab) defined by the tubes 158 (e.g.,microchannel tubes). The first section 160 and the second section 162may be positioned crosswise to one another. For example, each of thesections 160, 162 may have a planar or flat (e.g., a rectangular)geometry. The first section 160 may have a first edge 164 (e.g., of oneof the tubes 158), the second section 162 may have a second edge 166(e.g., of the same tube 158 having the first edge 164, of a differenttube 158), and the sections 160, 162 may be oriented to form an angle168 (e.g., an acute angle) between the first edge 164 and the secondedge 162. As such, the first section 160 and the second section 162 maybe crosswise to one another to form a V-shape or A-shape configurationdefining a space or channel 170 between the first section 160 and thesecond section 162. Each section 160, 162 may include a portion of thetubes 158 (e.g., a portion of each of the tubes 158). For example, thefirst section 160 may include a first tube portion 158A (e.g., a firstportion or length of each tube), and the second section 162 may includea second tube portion 158B (e.g., a second portion or length of eachtube). Working fluid may flow through each of the first tube portion158A and the second tube portion 158B.

The heat exchanger 150 may include a first manifold 172 (e.g., an inletmanifold) that may fluidly couple the inlet 154 to the tubes 158, andthe heat exchanger 150 may include a second manifold 174 that mayfluidly couple the outlet 156 to the tubes 158. For example, the firstmanifold 172 may receive the working fluid from the inlet 154 and directthe fluid to each of the tubes 158 (e.g., the first tube portion 158A)at the first section 160, and the second manifold 174 may receive theworking fluid from each of the tubes 158 (e.g., the second tube portion158B) at the second section 162 and discharge the working fluid via theoutlet 156. In certain embodiments, the heat exchanger 150 may includemore than two manifolds. For example, the heat exchanger 150 may includemultiple inlets 154 and/or multiple outlets 156, and the tubes 158 maybe coupled to each inlet 154 and outlet 156 via a different manifold.

Each tube 158 may extend from the first manifold 172 to the secondmanifold 174. That is, each tube 158 may extend along a first dimension176 (e.g., a first length, a first width) of the first section 160 andalso along a second dimension 178 (e.g., a second length, a secondwidth) of the second section 162. Thus, each individual tube 158 may bea part of the first tube portion 158A and the second tube portion 158B,and each tube 158 may direct working fluid flow from first section 160to the second section 162. In certain embodiments, the working fluid mayflow multiple times across the first section 160 and/or the secondsection 162 (e.g., along the dimensions 176, 178) before beingdischarged from the heat exchanger 150. For example, the working fluidmay flow through one of the tubes 158 from the first section 160 to thesecond section 162, then along another one of the tubes 158 from thesecond section 162 to the first section 160, and subsequently along yetanother one of the tubes 158 from the first section 160 to the secondsection 162 toward the outlet 156. In this manner, the working fluid mayflow through multiple passes of the heat exchanger 150, and sets of thetubes 158 may be positioned in series with one another with respect tothe flow of working fluid through the tubes 158. Additionally oralternatively, working fluid may flow in parallel through sets of thetubes 158. By way of example, working fluid may flow through the inlet154 and split or divide into multiple working fluid flows within thefirst manifold 172 to flow through multiple sets of tubes 158 (e.g.,from the first section 160 to the second section 162) in parallel withone another. The working fluid flows may combine (e.g., within thesecond manifold 174) before flowing through the outlet 156. Although theinlet 154 and the outlet 156 are positioned at different sections 160,162 in the illustrated embodiment, additionally or alternatively, theinlet 154 and the outlet 156 may be positioned at the same section(e.g., at the first section 160, at the second section 162) of the heatexchanger 150. In this manner, the working fluid may enter and exit theheat exchanger 150 at the same section.

In additional or alternative embodiments, the first tube portions 158Amay be fluidly separate from the second tube portions 158B. That is,each tube 158 may extend along one of the dimensions 176, 178 and notalong the other of the dimensions 176, 178. Thus, working fluid may flowthrough one of the sections 160, 162 and not the other of the sections160, 162. For example, each of the sections 160, 162 may receive aseparate working fluid flow, such as from separate vapor compressionsystems, and each section 160, 162 may separately discharge the workingfluid flow. To this end, each of the sections 160, 162 may include adedicated or separate inlet 154 and outlet 156 for the respective tubeportions 158A, 158B.

The heat exchanger 150 may include an intermediate section or atransition region 180 extending between the first section 160 and thesecond section 162. For example, the first section 160 and the secondsection 162 may interface with one another at the intermediate section180. In some embodiments, such as embodiments in which each tube 158extends from the first manifold 172 to the second manifold 174, eachtube 158 may include a bend 182 to form the first tube portion 158A andthe second tube portion 158B. The bend 182 may be disposed in theintermediate section 180. Thus, the first section 160 and the secondsection 162 may transition between one another at the intermediatesection 180. In additional or alternative embodiments, such asembodiments in which each tube portion 158A, 158B is fluidly separatefrom one another, the first tube portion 158A and the second tubeportion 158B may be coupled to one another at the intermediate section180. For example, the tubes 158 of the first section 160 and the tubes158 of the second section 162 may be separate components that arecoupled to one another at the intermediate section 180 to form the firsttube portion 158A and the second tube portion 158B. In any case, thefirst tube portion 158A may extend from the first manifold 172 to theintermediate section 180, and the second tube portion 158B may extendfrom the second manifold 174 to the intermediate section 180.

In some embodiments, the air flow 153 may be directed in a directionalong (e.g., generally parallel to) a second axis 184 (e.g., a verticalaxis), such as in a direction 186 crosswise (e.g., generallyperpendicular) to a third axis 188 (e.g., a lateral axis), through theheat exchanger 150. Thus, the air flow 153 may be directed into thespace 170 and through the second section 162 or through the firstsection 160. Additionally or alternatively, the air flow 153 may bedirected in an opposite direction with respect to the direction 186through the heat exchanger 150. Thus, the air flow 153 may be directedthrough the first section 160 or through the second section 162 and intothe space 170. In further embodiments, the air flow 153 may be directedin a different direction, such as along the first axis 159, along thethird axis 188, or in any direction therebetween.

The heat exchanger 150 may also include end sheets (e.g., end panels,cap sheets) to facilitate incorporation of additional components. Forexample, the first section 160 may include a first end sheet 190, andthe second section 162 may include a second end sheet 192. As furtherdescribed herein, the end sheets 190, 192 may be configured to couple toanother component, such as a plate, thereby attaching the component tothe sections 160, 162 of the heat exchanger 150. For instance, the firstend sheet 190 may include first flanges 194, and the second end sheet192 may include second flanges 196. Each of the first flanges 194 mayinclude a first opening or hole 198, and each of the second flanges 196may include a second opening or hole 200. A component (e.g., an endplate, a side plate, a delta plate) may be configured to engage with thefirst flanges 194 and the second flanges 196, and fasteners may beinserted through the component and the first flanges 194 via the firstopenings 198 and/or through the component and the second flanges 196 viathe second openings 200 to secure the component onto the end sheets 190,192. In additional or alternative embodiments, the first end sheet 190and/or the second end sheet 192 may be coupled to another componentusing other features, such as a weld, an adhesive, a punch, and thelike, which may be arranged on the flanges 194, 196.

The end sheets 190, 192 may be positioned at a first side 206 (e.g., afront side) of the heat exchanger 150 to enable the component to coupleto the first side 206 of the heat exchanger 150. The first side 206 mayextend crosswise with respect to a second side 208 (e.g., a bottom side,an underside, a first end) and a third side 210 (e.g., a top side, asecond end) of the heat exchanger 150. The first surface 202 of thefirst end sheet 190 may be generally planar with a second surface 204 ofthe second end sheet 192 along the first side 206 to enable thecomponent to engage each of the first end sheet 190 (e.g., the firstflanges 194) and the second end sheet 192 (e.g., the second flanges 196)at the first side 206 and extend crosswise to the second side 208 andthe third side 210. In the illustrated embodiment, the manifolds 172,174 are disposed at and extend along (e.g., along the first axis 159)the second side 208, and the intermediate section 180 is disposed at andextends along (e.g., along the first axis 159) the third side 210.However, in additional or alternative embodiments, the manifolds 172,174 may be disposed at the third side 210, and the intermediate section180 may be disposed at the second side 208.

FIG. 6 is a front view of an embodiment of the heat exchanger 150. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the sections 160, 162 are oriented crosswisewith respect to one another, the second axis 184, and the third axis188. Additionally, the first flanges 194 of the first end sheet 190 andthe second flanges 196 of the second end sheet 192 may extend generallytoward one another. That is, the first flanges 194 may extend toward thesecond section 162 (e.g., at least partially along the third axis 188),and the second flanges 196 may extend toward the first section 160(e.g., at least partially along the third axis 188). In this manner, theflanges 194, 196 may extend inwardly or in a direction (e.g., along thethird axis 188) toward the space 170 between the first section 160 andthe second section 162. Such orientation of the flanges 194, 196 maylimit (e.g., do not increase) a physical footprint or volume occupied bythe heat exchanger 150. For example, the heat exchanger 150 may beconfined within an outer boundary 240 defined by a perimeter of the heatexchanger 150 viewed along the first axis 159. The outer boundary 240extends along a first exterior side 242 (e.g., opposite a first interiorside 244 facing the space 170) of the first section 160, along a secondexterior side 246 of the second section 162 (e.g., opposite a secondinterior side 248 facing the space 170), across the intermediate section180, and across the manifolds 172, 174. The flanges 194, 196 extendinwardly (e.g., from the interior sides 244, 248) and toward an interiordefined by the outer boundary 240. As such, the flanges 194, 196 do notincrease a size or dimension of the outer boundary 240 and the physicalfootprint or volume occupied by the heat exchanger 150.

In certain embodiments, the first section 160 and the second section 162may be configured to move relative to one another. By way of example,the first section 160 and the second section 162 may rotate or pivotrelative to one another about the intermediate section 180. Forinstance, the bend 182 may define a rotational axis 250 that extends ina direction along the first axis 159. The first tube portion 158A andthe second tube portion 158B may rotate relative to one another aboutthe rotational axis 250 to rotate the first section 160 and the secondsection 162 relative to one another.

As an example, FIG. 6 illustrates the heat exchanger 150 in an expandedconfiguration 252 in which the first section 160 and the second section162 may extend crosswise relative to one another (e.g., at the angle168) to form the space 170. The heat exchanger 150 may be installed inthe HVAC system 152 in the expanded configuration 252 to facilitategreater heat transfer between the heat exchanger 150 and the air flow153 during operation of the HVAC system 150. For example, the crosswiseorientation of the first section 160 and the second section 162 in theexpanded configuration 252 may enable increased heat transfer betweenthe first tube portion 158A and the air flow 153 and between the secondtube portion 158B and the air flow 153, such as via heat transferbetween the tubes 158 and the air flow 153 within the space 170. Thefirst section 160 and the second section 162 may also rotate in inwarddirections 254 toward one another to reduce a magnitude of the angle168, the size of the space 170, and the size or dimensions of the outerboundary 240. Reducing the size of the outer boundary 240 may reduce thephysical footprint or volume occupied by the heat exchanger 150 andenable more efficient usage of the space in which the heat exchanger 150is disposed. Indeed, as further described herein, the sections 160, 162may be rotated in inward directions 254 to transition the heat exchanger150 from the expanded configuration 252 to a compact configuration inwhich the sections 160, 162 may extend along and/or engage one another.For instance, the heat exchanger 150 may be more easily stored and/ortransported in the compact configuration, such as for delivery,maintenance, service, or other operations in which the heat exchanger150 may not be installed in the HVAC system 152.

The sections 160, 162 may also be rotated in outward directions 256 awayfrom one another to transition the heat exchanger 150 from the compactconfiguration to the illustrated expanded configuration 252. Rotation ofthe sections 160, 162 in the outward directions 256 may increase amagnitude of the angle 168, the space 170, and the size or dimensions ofthe outer boundary 240. For example, the sections 160, 162 may berotated in the outward directions 256 prior to installation of the heatexchanger 150 within the HVAC system 152. In some embodiments, the heatexchanger 150 may also be adjusted to an intermediate configuration(e.g., a partially expanded configuration, a partially compactconfiguration) between the expanded configuration 252 and the compactconfiguration. As an example, the heat exchanger 150 may be adjusted tothe intermediate configuration to facilitate installation of the heatexchanger 150 in the HVAC system 152, such as to accommodate varioustolerances, dimensions, and/or structural boundaries that may be imposedby a structure or component of the HVAC system 152 within which the heatexchanger 150 is positioned. Thus, adjustability of the sections 160,162 may increase flexibility associated with usage of the heat exchanger150.

In certain embodiments, the sections 160, 162 may be movable relative toone another via a manual force imparted (e.g., by an operator, by atechnician) onto the first section 160 and/or the second section 162.Indeed, the heat exchanger 150 may be adjustable between variousconfigurations without usage of an additional tool or device dedicatedto moving the sections 160, 162 relative to one another. For example,the manual force may be imparted to move the sections 160, 162 (e.g.,via elastic deformation) in the inward directions 254 to transition theheat exchanger 150 to the compact configuration. Furthermore, a lack ofmanual force being imparted on the sections 160, 162 may cause thesections 160, 162 to move in the outward directions 254 (e.g., due toelastic deformation, a spring force of the tubes 158) to transition theheat exchanger 150 to the expanded configuration 252.

As an example, the heat exchanger 150 may be arranged to enable themanual force to rotate the sections 160, 162 via the bend 182. Forinstance, each tube 158 may have a certain dimension (e.g., athickness), each tube 158 may be bent, flexed, and/or twisted to formthe bend 182 having a particular geometry, and/or each tube 158 may beformed from a material (e.g., a metal) to enable the sections 160, 162to rotate via a manual force and transition the heat exchanger 150between various configurations without deforming (e.g., plasticallydeforming, permanently deforming) the tubes 158. Furthermore, the heatexchanger 150 (e.g., the tubes 158) may be arranged to block excessiverotation of the sections 160, 162 in the outward directions 256. Forexample, the sections 160, 162 may be blocked from rotating and formingthe angle 168 with a magnitude that is greater than a threshold angleduring an absence of the manual force imparted onto the first section160 and/or the second section 162. Indeed, when no manual force isimparted onto the sections 160, 162, the heat exchanger 150 maytransition to the expanded configuration 252 (e.g., a restingconfiguration) in which the first section 160 and the second section 162are oriented in at the angle 168 having a desired magnitude in which theheat exchanger 150 may be installed in the HVAC system 152 and operatingto transfer heat between the air flow 153 and a working fluid.

First notches 258 (e.g., cutouts) may be formed in the first end sheet190, and second notches 260 (e.g., cutouts) may be formed in the secondend sheet 192. Each first notch 258 may be configured to receive acorresponding second flange 196 of the second end sheet 192 in thecompact configuration of the heat exchanger 150, and each second notch260 may be configured to receive a corresponding first flange 194 of thefirst end sheet 190 in the compact configuration. The first notches 258and the second notches 260 may enable increased rotation of the sections160, 162 in the inward directions 254 to cause the first flanges 194 tooverlap with the second section 162 and the second flanges 196 tooverlap with the first section 160. In other words, the first notches258 may block the second flanges 196 from contacting the first end sheet190, and the second notches 260 may block the first flanges 194 fromcontacting the second end sheet 192 during transition of the heatexchanger 150 to the compact configuration. For this reason, the notches258, 260 may enable rotation of the sections 160, 162 in the inwarddirections 254 until the first edge 164 of the first section 160 and thesecond edge 166 of the second section 162 engage with one another,rather than, for example, until the first flanges 194 engage with thesecond end sheet 192 and/or the second notches 260 engage with the firstend sheet 190.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of an embodiment of the heat exchanger 150 in theexpanded configuration 252. The heat exchanger 150 may have end sheetspositioned at a fourth side 280 (e.g., a rear side), opposite the firstside 206, of the heat exchanger 150. For example, the first section 160may include a third end sheet 282 coupled at the fourth side 280, andthe second section 162 may include a fourth end sheet 284 coupled at thefourth side 280. The third end sheet 282 and the fourth end sheet 284may also enable coupling of another component (e.g., a plate) to thefirst section 160 and the second section 162 at the fourth side 280. Forexample, the third end sheet 282 may include third flanges 286 that havethird openings or holes 288, and the fourth end sheet 284 may includefourth flanges 290 that have fourth openings or holes 292. The third endsheet 282 (e.g., the third flanges 286) and the fourth end sheet 284(e.g., the fourth flanges 290) may be configured to engage with thecomponent. Fasteners may be inserted through the component and the thirdflanges 286 via the third openings 288 and/or through the component andthe fourth flanges 290 via the fourth openings 292 to secure thecomponent onto the third end sheet 282 and the fourth end sheet 284.

Notches may also be formed into the third end sheet 282 and the fourthend sheet 284 to enable receipt of a corresponding one of the thirdflanges 288 or the fourth flanges 290 in the compact configuration ofthe heat exchanger 150. For example, third notches 294 may be formed inthe third end sheet 282, and each third notch 294 may be configured toreceive one of the fourth flanges 290 of the fourth end sheet 284 in thecompact configuration. Furthermore, fourth notches 296 may be formed inthe fourth end sheet 284, and each fourth notch 296 may be configured toreceive one of the third flanges 288 of the third end sheet 282 in thecompact configuration. In this manner, abutment between the thirdflanges 288 and the fourth end sheet 284 may be avoided, and abutmentbetween the fourth flanges 290 and the third end sheet 282 may beavoided, thereby enabling increased rotation of the sections 160, 162 inthe inward directions 254. For example, the third flanges 288 mayoverlap with the second section 162 along the third axis 188 and thefourth flanges 290 may overlap with the first section 160 along thethird axis 188 in the compact configuration.

FIG. 8 is a front view of an embodiment of the heat exchanger 150 in acompact configuration 320. In the compact configuration 320, the firstsection 160 and the second section 162 may be engaged with one anotherand/or extend along one another (e.g., along the second axis 184). Thus,the outer boundary 240 defined by the perimeter of the heat exchanger150 in the compact configuration 320 may be less than (e.g.,substantially less than, smaller than) the outer boundary 240 associatedwith the heat exchanger 150 in the expanded configuration 252. As such,the heat exchanger 150 may occupy a reduced physical footprint (e.g., areduced volume of space) in the compact configuration 320. The compactconfiguration 320 of the heat exchanger 150 may enable more efficientusage of space. For instance, the heat exchanger 150 may be more easilymoved and/or stored, such as to accommodate positioning of other objectswithin a confined space (e.g., during storage or transportation of theheat exchanger 150).

In the compact configuration, the first flanges 194 of the first endsheet 190 may be positioned within corresponding second notches 260formed in the second end sheet 192 and may overlap with the secondsection 160 along the third axis 188. Additionally, the second flanges196 of the second end sheet 192 may be positioned within correspondingfirst notches 258 of the first end sheet 190 and may overlap with thefirst section 160 along the third axis 188. Such positioning of theflanges 194, 196 in the notches 258, 260 may enable increased movementof the sections 160, 162 to engage with or extend along one another inthe compact configuration 320. Thus, the inward extension of the flanges194, 196 may limit (e.g., may not increase) the size of the outerboundary 240 associated with the compact configuration 320 of the heatexchanger 150. Moreover, the inward extension of the flanges 194, 196may shield the flanges 194, 196 from certain external elements. Forinstance, contact between the flanges 194, 196 and objects that arepositioned at the first exterior side 242 of the first section 160and/or at the second exterior side 246 of the second section 162 may beavoided. As an example, the orientation of the flanges 194, 196 mayenable the first exterior side 242 and/or the second exterior side 246to have a flatter geometry, and the heat exchanger 150 may be positionedagainst (e.g., flush with) another object, such as another heatexchanger 150, a wall, a panel, and so forth, at the first exterior side242 and/or at the second exterior side 246. Thus, the spatialpositioning of the heat exchanger 150 with respect to an adjacent objectmay be more efficient. As another example, the orientation of theflanges 194, 196 may enable the heat exchanger 150 to be moved (e.g., inthe compact configuration 320) without causing contact between theflanges 194, 196 and another object, such as a user, an enclosure,another component of the HVAC system 152, and so forth. As such, astructural integrity, a geometry, and/or a useful lifespan of theflanges 194, 196 may be increased.

In the illustrated embodiment, a first flange 194 may be positionedadjacent to a corresponding one of the second flanges 196 in the compactconfiguration 320. However, in additional or alternative embodiments,the first flanges 194 and the second flanges 196 may be arranged suchthat the first flanges 194 are positioned further apart from the secondflanges 196 in the compact configuration 320. In other words, there maybe a greater offset distance between a first flange 194 and an adjacentsecond flange 196 along the second axis 184.

FIG. 9 is a detailed perspective view of an embodiment of the heatexchanger 150. In the illustrated embodiment, the first end sheet 190 iscoupled to and extends along a first end 340 of the first section 160.For example, the first end sheet 190 may extend along the first tubeportions 158A of the first section 160. Additionally, the second endsheet 192 is coupled to and extends along a second end 342 of the secondsection 162, such as along the second tube portions 158B of the secondsection 162. As described above, the working fluid may flow through thefirst tube portions 158A and through the second tube portions 158B, suchas between the tube portions 158 via the intermediate section 180 (e.g.,via the bend 182). Thus, the first end sheet 190 may extend along adirection of the flow of working fluid through the first tube portions158A at the first section 160, and the second end sheet 192 may extendalong a direction of the flow of working fluid through the second tubeportions 158B at the second section 162.

Additionally, the heat exchanger 150 may include fins 344 that arecoupled to the tubes or tube portions 158 (e.g., microchannel tubes).First fins 344A may be coupled to the first tube portions 158A, andsecond fins 344B may be coupled to the second tube portions 158B. Forinstance, the first fins 344A may span between adjacent first tubeportions 158A to couple the adjacent first tube portions 158A to oneanother, and the second fins 344B may span between adjacent second tubeportions 158B to couple the adjacent second tube portions 158B to oneanother. The fins 344 may increase an efficiency of the operation of theheat exchanger 150 to transfer heat between the working fluid flowingthrough the tubes 158 and the air flow 153 directed across the tubes158. For example, the fins 344 may increase heat transfer by absorbingadditional heat from the working fluid or from the air flow 153. Thus,heat transfer between the working fluid and the air flow 153 may beenabled via the tubes 158 and via the fins 344. In the illustratedembodiment, the fins 344 have a wave or zigzag shaped profile, but thefins 344 may have any suitable profile in additional or alternativeembodiments.

In some embodiments, the first end sheet 190 may be coupled to orsecured to one of the first fins 344A, such as a fin 346 that ispositioned outermost (e.g., along the first axis 159) at the first end340 of the first section 160. Additionally, the second end sheet 192 maybe coupled to or secured to one of the second fins 344B, such as a fin348 that is positioned outermost (e.g., along the first axis 159) at thesecond end 342 of the second section 162. By way of example, the firstend sheet 190 and the second end sheet 192 may be coupled to therespective fins 344 via a weld, an adhesive, a fastener, a brazingtechnique, and so forth. Furthermore, the first notches 258 formed inthe first end sheet 190 may expose the fin 346 at the first end 340, andthe second notches 260 formed in the second end sheet 192 may expose thefin 348 at the second end 342. In certain embodiments, in the compactconfiguration 320, the first flanges 194 of the first end sheet 190 mayextend into the corresponding second notches 260 of the second end sheet192 and engage with (e.g., abut against) the fin 348, and the secondflanges 196 of the second end sheet 192 may extend into thecorresponding first notches 258 of the first end sheet 190 and engagewith (e.g., abut against) the fin 346. In additional or alternativeembodiments, the first flanges 194 may overlap with the fin 348 withoutcontacting the fin 348, and the second flanges 196 may overlap with thefind 346 without contacting the fin 346 in the compact configuration320. In further embodiments, the first end sheet 190 may be coupled toone of the first tube portions 158A (e.g., a first tube portion 158Apositioned outermost along the first axis 159 at the first end 340),and/or the second end sheet 192 may be coupled to one of the second tubeportions 158B (e.g., a second tube portion 158B positioned outermostalong the first axis 159 at the second end 342). In such embodiments,the first flanges 194 may overlap with and/or engage with one of thesecond tube portions 158B (e.g., by extending into the correspondingsecond notches 260), and/or the second flanges 196 may overlap withand/or engage with one of the first tube portions 158A (e.g., byextending into the corresponding first notches 258).

The third end sheet 282 may similarly be coupled to the first section160, and the fourth end sheet 284 may similarly be coupled to the secondsection 162 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 9 with respect to thefirst end sheet 190 and the second end sheet 192. That is, the third endsheet 282 may be coupled to one of the first fins 344A, and the fourthend sheet 284 may be coupled to one of the second fins 344B. In thismanner, the third end sheet 282 may extend along the flow of workingfluid through the first tube portions 158A at the first section 160, andthe fourth end sheet 284 may extend along the flow of working fluidthrough the second tube portions 158B at the second section 162.Additionally, in the compact configuration 320, the third flanges 286 ofthe third end sheet 282 may be configured to abut one of the second fins344B to which the fourth end sheet 284 is coupled, and the fourthflanges 290 of the fourth end sheet 284 may be configured to abut one ofthe first fins 344A to which the third end sheet 282 is coupled.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the heat exchanger150. A plate 370 (e.g., a delta plate, sheet metal), shown in phantomlines in FIG. 10 , may be coupled to the heat exchanger 150 via thefirst end sheet 190 and the second end sheet 192. For example, the plate370 may be positioned between the inlet 154/outlet 156 and the endsheets 190, 192 along the first axis 159. The plate 370 may be placed inengagement with the first surface 202 of the first end sheet 190 and thesecond surface 204 of the second end sheet 192 and therefore extend fromthe first section 160 to the second section 162 to occlude (e.g.,partially enclose) the space 170 formed between the first section 160and the second section 162 of the heat exchanger 150. Thus, the plate370 may block the air flow 153 out of the space 170 along the first axis159 and force the air flow 153 across the tubes 158. As such, the plate370 may increase contact between the tubes 158 and the air flow 153,thereby increasing efficiency of the heat exchanger 150.

The plate 370 may include openings or holes 372 that may align with thefirst openings 198 of the first flanges 194 of the first end sheet 190and the second openings 200 of the second flanges 196 of the second endsheet 192. The heat exchanger 150 may include fasteners 374 that areconfigured to extend through the openings 372 of the plate 370 that arealigned with the first openings 198 of the first end sheet 190 and/orthrough the openings 372 of the plate 370 that are aligned with thesecond openings 200 of the second end sheet 192. The fasteners 374 maysecure the plate 370 onto the flanges 194, 196. For example, thefasteners 374 may include self-tapping screws that may bias the plate370 against the end sheets 190, 192 via the flanges 194, 196 withouthaving to access the space 170 between the first section 160 and thesecond section 162 (e.g., to position a nut through which the fasteners374 may be inserted). Additionally or alternatively, any other suitablefeature or components, such as another type of fastener 374, a weld, anadhesive, a punch, and so forth, may be used to couple the plate 370 tothe end sheets 190, 192.

The plate 370 may be configured to mount to a drain pan 376. By way ofexample, the drain pan 376 may include walls 378 that define an internalvolume 380 of the drain pan 376, and the plate 370 may extend into theinternal volume 380 and engage with a base 379 of the walls 378.Mounting the plate 370 and the drain pan 376 onto one another may causethe heat exchanger 150 (e.g., the first section 160, the second section162) to be at least partially disposed in the drain pan 376, such as inan installed configuration of the heat exchanger 150. For instance, themanifolds 172, 174 and/or the tubing 158 may be positioned within theinternal volume 380 of the drain pan 376 and may also engage with thebase 379 of the drain pan 376. The drain pan 376 may improve operationof the HVAC system 152, such as of the heat exchanger 150. As anexample, operation of the heat exchanger 150 may generate condensate onthe heat exchanger 150, such as on the tubes 158, the inlet 154, theoutlet 156, the manifolds 172, 174, and so forth. The drain pan 376 mayreceive the condensate generated on the heat exchanger 150, such as viaa gravitational force, and the drain pan 376 may direct the condensateaway from the heat exchanger 150. Thus, the drain pan 376 may block thecondensate from affecting a performance of the heat exchanger 150 toincrease a heat transfer efficiency of the heat exchanger 150. Althoughthe illustrated drain pan 376 has a rectangular shape, the drain pan 376may have any suitable shape configured to receive condensate generatedon the heat exchanger 150.

In some embodiments, the plate 370 may have a shape or profile thatextends along (e.g., corresponds with, matches) the outer boundary 240associated with the heat exchanger 150 in the expanded configuration252. As an example, the plate 370 may not extend past (e.g., may bealigned with, may be flush with) the exterior sides 242, 246 of the heatexchanger 150. Therefore, a reduced amount of material may be used tomanufacture the plate 370 as compared to a plate 370 that extends beyondthe exterior sides 242, 246 (e.g., to enable interfacing with end sheetshaving flanges that extend outwardly away from the space 170). For thisreason, a cost, a duration of time, and/or a difficulty associated withmanufacture of the plate 370 may be reduced. Furthermore, the plate 370may extend along (e.g., correspond with, match) a profile of themanifolds 172, 174 to accommodate the positioning of the inlet 154 andthe outlet 156. That is, the plate 370 may have respective recesses 382(e.g., formed at corners of the plate 370) that may be configured toreceive the inlet 154 and the outlet 156 while the plate 370 is coupledto the heat exchanger 150 in an assembled configuration of the heatexchanger 150. Further still, the plate 370 may extend along the endsheets 190, 192 from the manifolds 172, 174 toward the intermediatesection 180 to occlude the space 170. However, the plate 370 may notextend past where the bend 182 initiates to avoid contact with the bend182. Thus, the plate 370 may be positioned in greater engagement with(e.g., more flush with) the end sheets 190, 192 for better securement tothe end sheets 190, 192, and the plate 370 may avoid affecting rotationbetween the sections 160, 162. As such, the plate 370 may accommodatethe features of the heat exchanger 150 without extending beyond theouter boundary 240 defined by the sections 160, 162. Thus, the plate 370may enable the heat exchanger 150 to occupy a limited physicalfootprint.

In certain embodiments, another plate similar to the plate 370 may beconfigured to couple to the third end sheet 282 and the fourth end sheet284 using similar techniques. That is, the plate may have a profile thatis contained within the outer boundary 240 and accommodates variousfeatures (e.g., the manifolds 172, 174, the bend 182) of the heatexchanger 182. The plate may be configured to engage with the thirdflanges 286 of the third end sheet 282 and the fourth flanges 290 of thefourth end sheet 284, and the plate may have openings that align withthe third openings 288 of the third end sheet 282 and/or the fourthopenings 292 of the fourth end sheet 284. Fasteners may be insertedthrough the openings of the plate that are aligned with the thirdopenings 288 and/or the fourth openings 292 to bias the plate againstthe end sheets 282, 284. The plate may further occlude the space 170 toincrease efficiency of the heat exchanger 150, and the plate may also beconfigured to mount to the drain pan 376 to facilitate positioning ofthe first section 160 and the second section 162 within the drain pan376.

Although each end sheet 190, 192, 282, 284 illustrated in FIGS. 5-10includes three flanges and three notches, each end sheet 190, 192, 282,284 may have any suitable number of flanges and notches in additional oralternative embodiments. For example, one of the end sheets 190, 192,282, 284 may have one flange, two flanges, or more than three flanges tofacilitate coupling with a plate (e.g., the plate 370). In suchembodiments, another one of the end sheets 190, 192, 282, 284 may have acorresponding number of notches (e.g., the first notches 258, the secondnotches 260, the third notches 294, the fourth notches 296) configuredto receive the flanges in the compact configuration 320 of the heatexchanger 150.

The present disclosure may provide one or more technical effects usefulin the operation of an HVAC system. For example, the HVAC system mayinclude a heat exchanger with tubes through which a working fluid mayflow. The HVAC system may also direct an air flow across the tubes ofthe heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger may place the air flow in aheat exchange relationship with the working fluid to condition the airflow. In some embodiments, the tubes may define a first section and asecond section of the heat exchanger, and the first section and thesecond section may be oriented to form a space extending therebetween.The heat exchanger may include a first end sheet coupled at the firstsection and extending along a flow of working fluid through the tubes atthe first section, as well as a second end sheet coupled at the secondsection and extending along a flow of working fluid through the tubes atthe second section. The first end sheet may include first flanges thatextend toward the second end sheet, and the second end sheet may includesecond flanges that extend toward the first end sheet. In this manner,the orientation of the flanges may limit an outer boundary defined bythe heat exchanger and may therefore limit a physical footprint occupiedby the heat exchanger. The flanges may facilitate coupling of a plateonto the end sheets. By way of example, the plate may be placed inengagement with the flanges, and fasteners may be inserted through theplate and the flanges to bias the plate against the end sheets andsecure the plate onto the sections of the heat exchanger. The plate mayocclude the space formed between the first section and the secondsection and block undesirable flow of air out from the space. As such,usage of the plate may force air to flow across the heat exchangertubes. In this manner, the flanges may improve a performance (e.g., anefficiency) associated with the heat exchanger.

In certain embodiments, the sections of the heat exchanger may bemovable relative to one another. For instance, the sections may berotated toward one another to move the flanges toward an opposing endsheet and further reduce a physical footprint occupied by the heatexchanger. For this reason, the first end sheet may include notchesconfigured to receive the second flanges of the second end sheet, andthe second end sheet may include notches configured to receive the firstflanges of the first end sheet. The notches may enable the first flangesto overlap with the second end sheet and the second flanges to overlapwith the first end sheet, thereby blocking contact between the firstflanges and the second end sheet and/or between the second flanges andthe first end sheet that may otherwise block movement of the sectionstoward one another. As such, the notches may enable a desirable range ofmotion between the sections of the heat exchanger, such as to enable thefirst section and the second section to engage with and/or extend alongone another and reduce the physical footprint associated with the heatexchanger below a threshold size. The technical effects and technicalproblems in the specification are examples and are not limiting. Itshould be noted that the embodiments described in the specification mayhave other technical effects and can solve other technical problems.

While only certain features and embodiments of the disclosure have beenillustrated and described, many modifications and changes may occur tothose skilled in the art, such as variations in sizes, dimensions,structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values ofparameters, including temperatures and pressures, mounting arrangements,use of materials, colors, orientations, and so forth without materiallydeparting from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matterrecited in the claims. The order or sequence of any process or methodsteps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternativeembodiments. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claimsare intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall withinthe true spirit of the disclosure. Furthermore, in an effort to providea concise description of the exemplary embodiments, all features of anactual implementation may not have been described, such as thoseunrelated to the presently contemplated best mode of carrying out thedisclosure, or those unrelated to enabling the claimed disclosure. Itshould be noted that in the development of any such actualimplementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerousimplementation specific decisions may be made. Such a development effortmight be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routineundertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those ofordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure, without undueexperimentation.

The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and appliedto material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature thatdemonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are notabstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claimsappended to the end of this specification contain one or more elementsdesignated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for[perform]ing [a function] . . . ”, it is intended that such elements areto be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claimscontaining elements designated in any other manner, it is intended thatsuch elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

1. A heat exchanger for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning(HVAC) system, comprising: a plurality of tubes configured to direct aworking fluid therethrough, wherein the plurality of tubes defines afirst section and a second section of the heat exchanger, and the firstsection and the second section extend crosswise relative to one another;and an end sheet coupled to an end of the first section, wherein the endsheet comprises a flange extending toward the second section.
 2. Theheat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the end sheet extends along the endof the first section and along a direction of working fluid flow throughthe plurality of tubes of the first section.
 3. The heat exchanger ofclaim 1, wherein the end sheet is a first end sheet, the end is a firstend, the flange is a first flange, the heat exchanger comprises a secondend sheet coupled to a second end of the second section, and the secondend sheet comprises a second flange extending toward the first section.4. The heat exchanger of claim 3, comprising a plate configured to besecured to the first flange and the second flange and extend from thefirst section to the second section.
 5. The heat exchanger of claim 4,comprising a first fastener configured to extend through the plate andthe first flange and a second fastener configured to extend through theplate and the second flange.
 6. The heat exchanger of claim 1, whereinthe heat exchanger is configured to transition between an expandedconfiguration and a compact configuration, the first section and thesecond section extend crosswise relative to one another in the expandedconfiguration, and the first section and the second section extend alongone another in the compact configuration.
 7. The heat exchanger of claim6, wherein the flange overlaps with the second section in the compactconfiguration of the heat exchanger.
 8. The heat exchanger of claim 7,wherein the end sheet is a first end sheet, the end is a first end, theflange is a first flange, the heat exchanger comprises a second endsheet coupled to a second end of the second section, the second endsheet comprises a notch formed therein, and the notch is configured toreceive the flange in the compact configuration of the heat exchanger.9. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the first section comprises afirst manifold configured to receive the working fluid and direct theworking fluid into the plurality of tubes, and the second sectioncomprises a second manifold configured to receive the working fluid fromthe plurality of tubes and discharge the working fluid from the heatexchanger.
 10. The heat exchanger of claim 9, wherein each tube of theplurality of tubes extends from the first manifold to the secondmanifold, and each tube of the plurality of tubes comprises a bendformed between the first section and the second section.
 11. The heatexchanger of claim 1, comprising a plurality of fins extending betweenthe plurality of tubes, wherein the end sheet is coupled to a fin of theplurality of fins.
 12. A heat exchanger for a heating, ventilation,and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising: a plurality of tubesconfigured to direct a working fluid therethrough, wherein the pluralityof tubes defines a first panel section, a second panel section, and anintermediate section extending between the first panel section and thesecond panel section, wherein the first panel section and the secondpanel section are configured to rotate relative to one another about theintermediate section; and an end sheet coupled to the first panelsection, wherein the end sheet comprises a flange extending between thefirst panel section and the second panel section.
 13. The heat exchangerof claim 12, wherein the first panel section and the second panelsection are configured to rotate toward one another to transition theheat exchanger to a compact configuration, and the first panel sectionand the second panel section are configured to rotate away from oneanother to transition the heat exchanger to an expanded configuration.14. The heat exchanger of claim 13, wherein the end sheet is a first endsheet, the heat exchanger comprises a second end sheet coupled to thesecond panel section, the second end sheet comprises a notch formedtherein, and the notch is configured to receive the flange of the firstend sheet in the compact configuration of the heat exchanger.
 15. Theheat exchanger of claim 14, comprising a plurality of fins extendingbetween the plurality of tubes, wherein the second end sheet is coupledto a fin of the plurality of fins, and the flange is configured toextend into the notch and engage with the fin in the compactconfiguration of the heat exchanger.
 16. The heat exchanger of claim 12,wherein the plurality of tubes comprises microchannel tubes.
 17. A heatexchanger for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC)system, comprising: a plurality of tubes configured to direct a workingfluid therethrough; a first section comprising a first portion of theplurality of tubes, wherein the first section comprises a first endsheet extending along a first direction of working fluid flow throughthe first portion of the plurality of tubes, and the first end sheetcomprises a first flange; and a second section comprising a secondportion of the plurality of tubes, wherein the second section comprisesa second end sheet extending along a second direction of working fluidflow through the second portion of the plurality of tubes, the secondend sheet comprises a second flange, and the first flange and the secondflange extend toward one another.
 18. The heat exchanger of claim 17,comprising a plate configured to couple to the first end sheet via thefirst flange and to the second end sheet via the second flange, whereinthe plate is configured to at least partially enclose a space formedbetween the first section and the second section.
 19. The heat exchangerof claim 18, wherein the plate is configured to mount to a drain pan,and the first section and the second section are configured to be atleast partially disposed in the drain pan in an installed configurationof the heat exchanger.
 20. The heat exchanger of claim 17, wherein eachtube of the plurality of tubes extends from the first section to thesecond section, each tube forms a bend between the first section and thesecond section, and the first section and the second section areconfigured to rotate relative to one another via the bend.